The Victors

You can't make a simple projection of the run game from the outcome. If 3/5 linemen miss their blocks, you will have a 0 yard gain. If 4/5 make great blocks but one whiffs, you will also have a 0 yard gain. the result is the same, but what it says about your prospects going forward is different.

Basically everybody who is looking at the run game thinks it looks more like the latter than the former. Good play design, good to great execution except one blocker keeps fucking up.

The plays where Hiter took the ball from Underwood are another example. On the books it's a 3 yard loss, but it's extremely fixable.

Interestingly, the blocker that screws up seems to disproportionately be a TE or a Rhino. Like others, i don't quite understand why Hoffman is worse than last year and Marshall, which was solid, is not longer playing much. But basically the offense needs to figure out what's going to do with the 4th and 5th skill players. We are very solid at tailback and WR 1/2. The "grab bag" aspect of the offense seems to be cycling through Beigel, Hoffman, Owens, Goodwin, or the pony package to fill those extra spots.

I don't know how it's going to shake out. But Hoffman and Marshall's performance last year leaves me feeling like one or both of those players ought to become competent blockers. We don't need Bredeson-type destruction to turn some of these stuffed runs into big gainers. Just locate the defender and hit him. Really feels close to me.